Economic Crisis
by redit
Summary: The economic recession is affecting everybody. Little does Uchiha Itachi know just how much it will affect his own life. AU, adult themes, shounen ai etc. This story does not contain a lemon, feel free to bring your own.
1. An Odd Occurence

**Before you judge this fic, please note that I care more about the characters than their sex lives so you don't need to worry about graphic yaoi or anything.  
**For those of you who've read my other stories you maybe thinking "did redit really write this?" But as mentioned above it isn't graphic or overly disturbing (I hope).You may also be wondering why I started yet another fic… Well I don't know the answer to that one actually… I've already written three chapters of this and it's distracting me from Alternate History. Damn...

**The warnings section is individual to each chapter.**

**Warnings:**** Shounen ai, references to prostitution, some adult themes, AU (obviously), etc.**

**Currency is in Australian dollars, I thought yen would just confuse people, especially with the economy in the state it is.**

**Prologue/Chapter 1- **An Odd Occurrence

I stood inside the entrance to the shopping center. The white linoleum beneath my feet glared back up me, the bright fluorescent lighting reflecting off of it. I had just finished purchasing a few odds and ends to refill the pantry at my shared house.

A full grocery bag weighed down each of my arms and I held a small, black, compact umbrella between my index finger and thumb. I stared out of the window glumly, noticing the dark, stormy sky above. It was pouring with rain, so I was very reluctant to leave the shelter that the shopping center provided.

The wind was very strong as well. If I tried to protect myself from the elements with my umbrella, I would undoubtedly just lose it.

I placed the heavy, white plastic bags on a conveniently placed, low wooden bench. I dug around inside my pocket for my mobile phone. I grasped the thin, plastic piece of modern technology and pulled it out before flipping it open.

I searched through my contacts and located Kisame's number. I pressed dial and waited for him to pick up.

"What is it _this _time?" He asked in a mocking tone. Damn caller I.D…

"Will you come and pick me up? I'll drown if I have to walk home in this…" I asked, wondering what amount of teasing I would have to endure before I could wheedle him into coming to get me.

"I don't know… you don't _sound_ that distressed." He responded as though he had been carefully analysing my tone beforehand. If I wanted to go home sometime today, I would have to up my persuasiveness a notch.

"_Please_ Kisame," I released a carefully crafted, drawn-out sigh. "I know I'm not on the top of your priority list, but I would love it if you didn't make me get soaked. I might get sick, and you know what _that_ means…" I left off tactfully, allowing Kisame to decide what 'that' did actually mean.

As Kisame replied I felt the unmistakable sensation that someone was watching me. "All right, all right, keep your knickers on. I'll be there in five minutes." Kisame grumbled, taking a weak stab at my appearance before hanging up. As feminine as I may appear, it was Kisame who chose to be with me.

I made myself as comfortable as possible on the bench, knowing that 'five minutes' could mean anything from five minutes to fifteen. I placed my phone back in my pocket as a complete stranger sat down next to me.

"Hey, are you looking for a job?" He asked suddenly. It was hard to discern his appearance, his dark beanie and scarf covered most of his facial features. He also wore a large and shapeless brown coat. But his voice stood out; it was very lowly pitched.

"No, why?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me for once. I wondered where this conversation was going to lead.

"Well that is unfortunate. I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. You seem to have… skills, which could be useful to me… Do give me a call if you change your mind." The man encouraged as he handed me an unmarked envelope. He stood and walked away almost immediately afterwards.

I cautiously opened the envelope. It could be anything from a dodgy character like that. The envelope contained a letter, and from that letter it soon became apparent that the man had been implying that I should work for him as a prostitute. I wrinkled my nose in disgust and shook my head.

The thought of being a prostitute disgusted me to no end. Not only did I have issues concerning personal space, but seeing anyone as simply a sex object made me vastly uncomfortable. That was probably why prostitutes were paid so much. According to the letter I would be paid roughly six hundred and fifty-five thousand dollars per annum.

Unfortunately there wasn't a convenient bin nearby, so I shoved the papers into my pocket, along with my mobile. I looked out of the glass automatic sliding doors as Kisame's car pulled up outside in the nearby parking lot.

I picked up the bags and made my way towards it. As soon as the doors opened I regretted coming outside. The freezing wind cut through my thick winter clothing and whipped my hair around, partially obscuring my vision. I shivered as the cold rain landed on my face.

I ran to the small black car and practically dived into the front seat. I hurriedly closed the door before dumping the shopping on the back seat. I put my seatbelt on and Kisame reversed out of the car park and reentered the traffic once again.

I hated driving and being on or near the road at all. There were just too many idiots on the road, you could get killed at any time. By now Kisame was used to this little quirk of mine and had given up on trying to make me get my license a long time ago.

"Well, I'm here. I expect fuel money within the week." He said in a very serious tone. I knew he was just indirectly making fun of me again. As strange as it may sound, this was how we communicated most of the time. He was also trying to distract me from the road so that I wouldn't start having a sudden panic attack.

Sometimes I had them and sometimes I didn't. It was just something that I couldn't control.

"But with the economy in its current state, it could take me weeks until I have enough to pay you back." I replied to humour him.

"Building up debt that can't be repaid must run in your family." He quipped eventually. I knew that he was referring to my father's business habits and bad timing.

I remained silent until we reached Kisame's house. Even though I lived here now, I still usually referred to it as 'Kisame's house'. It was rather odd…

Little did I know that my father's debt situation was about to get worse, much worse…

**Ok, more about the characters and their history will be explained in the next chapter. Bye until then.**


	2. An Eventful Morning

**The warnings below are really spoilers for this chapter's plot… But I've put them in, just in case.**

**Warnings: ****Suicide references, shounen ai, a highly distressed Sasuke, illegal driving –gasps-**

**Time skip of a week since last chapter.**

**Chapter 2- **An Eventful Morning

I was sitting at a small rectangular table in a rather uncomfortable chair. I looked to the clock and saw that it was only six thirty in the morning. I moved the weetbix around the bowl of milk with my silver spoon. I listened to the television as I tried to make my food digestible.

In particular I listened to a middle aged man's spiel about our, and the world's, receding economy. An economic recession was not good for anybody, but I knew it would be affecting my family's company in particular.

Our once prestigious company had been losing value over the last decade and a half, ever since my mother had died in a car accident. My father, Uchiha Fugaku, had taken out loan after loan, trying to restore the Uchiha name. He had borrowed a lot of money and was now up to his eyes in debt.

Normally, this would have been fine. He would have been able to pay it all off eventually. But this economic recession had thoroughly discarded any thoughts of paying the debt off. Our once well off family was now practically flat broke.

Truthfully, I didn't particularly care all that much for my father. I was more concerned for my little brother.

Last year I had been kicked out of my home for "disgracing the family name". In other words, I had told my father that I was homosexual. It didn't help any that my boyfriend/ fiancé/ whatever happened to be the CEO of one of our 'rival companies'.

As if to rub salt into my father's wounded pride, Kisame's sector was holding up about ten times better than the Uchiha's. I sighed as I spooned the soggy weetbix concoction into my mouth. According to the numbers running along the bottom of the television screen, my family's company had lost even more value. Soon no one would want to own any of our shares…

I wished that I could have taken Sasuke with me when I had left home… But I knew my father would pull through during this trying time. He was too stubborn not to.

"What are you so depressed about? I've actually gained points today!" Kisame suddenly announced from behind me.

"Well obviously I'm concerned about my brother-" I began to answer before a soft ringing interrupted my speech. I quickly checked my phone to make sure that it wasn't an emergency. Why was Sasuke calling at this hour? "Speaking of which." I said for Kisame's benefit before answering the phone.

"What do you want at this hour?" I asked unceremoniously, more than a little curious.

"Itachi, it's dad…" Sasuke answered in a strained voice. Coupled with uneven breathing and an inability to make complete sentences, he definitely sounded like he had been crying only minutes ago. I also faintly hear sirens in the background on Sasuke's end.

"What happened?" I asked urgently. "Are you hurt?"

"No, it's dad…" he repeated, "He's dead." I heard yet another shaky breath pass through him. "He committed suicide last night…"

It felt like the bottom had dropped out of my stomach; so much for being too stubborn not to pull through. "Do you want me to come over? Are you at the house or did he end up selling that?" I asked, trying and failing not to be blunt about our father's death. To tell the truth, the news of his death was actually rather… relieving.

"Yeah, I'm going… to the other property soon. I can't stay in this house…" Sasuke replied in a quiet murmur.

"Of course, we'll be there as soon as possible." I assured as I stood and impulsively made my way towards the door. By 'we', I had meant Kisame and I. I would need him to drive me there.

"Please hurry…" My little brother muttered before hanging up.

"Where are you going?" Kisame asked as he watched me pull my black leather shoes on. I thought they matched my black office pants and shirt rather well…

"It appears that my father has committed suicide. I need to help my brother get over whatever emotional and psychological problems may have resulted from this event. _We_ are going to my father's old house." I explained as I waited expectantly for Kisame to put his shoes on as well.

He knew that I was being serious because I hadn't left any room for questions. "What am I going to do with you?" He eventually replied as he finished putting his shoes on. He was asking himself more than me, but I replied anyway.

"Love me, feed me, shelter me and… comfort me." I replied somewhat dryly as Kisame passed through the front door. I followed him outside.

"I do all of that already!" He pretended to complain as he unlocked the driver's side of the small, also black, car.

I remember the time he told me that he'd bought it because it reminded him of me. I had of course told him that he was the most horrid kind of male, one, which would compare their partner to a machine.

Kisame had, of course, answered that the machine couldn't compare, simply act as a reminder. I hadn't been able to come up with a witty reply for that one, so he'd kept it ever since then.

Despite the obvious fact that Kisame was a multi-millionaire, he certainly didn't spend, act or live like one. I respected him because of that and it was probably why I had been attracted to him in the first place. Somehow I doubted the initial attraction occurred because I had a fetish for blue skin…

Kisame had an odd genetic mutation, which made him appear to be some kind of shark-human hybrid. But I wasn't so shallow as to judge him purely by his appearance like most other people did. After all, if I hadn't given him a chance I would never have discovered that his surprisingly large build applied to all of his body…

But at this point in time, there were more important things to be doing than reminiscing. It would take at least fifteen minutes to reach my father's- _my brother's_ house. I stared out of the window uncomfortably, not wanting Kisame to speed, but still wanting to arrive faster. I wished that I could just teleport…

Noticing my distress, Kisame briefly placed a hand on my knee before turning his attention back to the road and his hand to the steering wheel.

* * *

As soon as we arrived, I quickly exited the car and ran towards the large gates, which my father had deigned was 'necessary for security'. The house itself was ridiculously over sized considering my father had been practically broke. It also surprised me that he still owned another property apart from this one. Undoubtedly his pride hadn't allowed him to sell it.

In the wide, paved driveway a police car sat in front of the gates. A gloomy police officer was leaning on the bonnet and glancing through the car windows every now and then. I stopped in front of him as I continued to gaze at my old home.

I noticed that the surrounding garden was terribly overgrown as well. Obviously there was no more money to hire people to tame it.

The officer stood up straighter when he realized that I was going to talk to him. Kisame had chosen to remain in the car. He didn't like being seen in public for obvious reasons. When he had to be seen in public, he usually hired a limousine so that he fit the 'rich stereotype'. It avoided unnecessary questions...

"Is my little brother, Uchiha Sasuke, still here?" I asked him as soon as I was close enough.

"Uchiha Itachi I presume?" He replied as he briefly glanced back into the tinted windows of the police car. "I'm about to escort your brother to the previously-" His speech was interrupted by the car door opening.

My brother emerged from the vehicle rapidly and flung himself at me. "Niisan…" He whispered and smiled weakly when I put an arm around his shoulders. He looked incredibly shaken up and disheveled. His hair was sticking out in all directions and his eyes were bloodshot and swollen. He'd obviously been crying earlier.

My brother wasn't hysterical very often, but when he was it was to an extreme extent. It surprised me that he was still in his pajamas. As I embraced him he began to babble at high speed. He was definitely shell-shocked.

"What are we going to do? Does this mean I have to look after the company? How will we pay off the debt? How-"

"Shh… just calm down. Don't worry about that right now." I muttered as I rubbed his back to comfort him. I knew that by tomorrow he would be acting as if he'd never been this hysterical.

"I-I'd better get going now… The first thing I'm going to do is sell of this property." He laughed weakly before retreating from my embrace.

"If you're sure." I replied and tried to straighten out his hair a little. "Call me anytime if you need anything, alright?"

Sasuke nodded and sat back down in the police car. I waved once before turning around and returning to Kisame's car. After putting my seatbelt on, I rubbed my forehead and sighed.

"So, what's going on?" Kisame asked as he started up the car and made an illegal U-turn.

"He's going to stay at the other property that Fugaku owned. Also, that is illegal for a reason, you know." I replied as I continued to stare out of the window.

Kisame tactfully remained silent until we had reached his house again. It had been a very eventful day and it was only seven o'clock in the morning.

**I would love a bit of feedback. Anything you particularly liked** **or disliked?** **Well, bye until next chapter.**


	3. More Bad News

**This chapter is more… um, sexually confronting, I guess you could say, than the others. There will only be a couple of chapters like this in the whole story because I don't particularly like writing it. Shock horror, it's actually included for plot and character development, believe it or not.  
**

**Warnings:**** Suicidal references, adult themes, sexual implications etc.**

**Chapter 3- **More Bad News

I'd had people ringing me all day. Friends of the family whom I hadn't seen for years rang to ask whether I was coping with my father's death. News sure got around to them quickly, at the time my father had only died about seven hours ago. Aside from that, Sasuke would ring me every couple of hours for no apparent reason. I suspected that he just wanted to hear a familiar voice and to be reassured. I had planned on staying with him for longer, but he had made it apparent that he didn't want to be seen in his hysteric state.

The police also rang in the evening and explained that my father had committed suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills.

Finally from eight thirty onwards I got some peace and quiet. I was curled up in bed next to Kisame, who held me with a comforting arm. He slowly ran his other hand through my hair, which was quite relaxing, until he punctured the silence. "Why did something depressing have to happen today? You seem to be utterly and completely turned off."

His wording startled me slightly, but I should have expected as much. Our bodies were built very differently. Kisame was larger than normal and I was smaller than was usual. We could only make love every three or four days because he usually hurt me in some way when we did.

Today was the third day since we had done it last…

"Honestly Kisame, is that all you think about?" I asked teasingly, expecting some form of 'yes'.

He grinned mischievously and leaned closer…

* * *

"Yes, obviously." I answered for him dryly but a minute later when I found myself on the floor, suddenly void of underwear. Kisame's body mass was hovering over my own as though he wasn't sure whether to continue or not.

"Aww, you shouldn't make such heartless assumptions." He breathed in my ear. I rolled my eyes and pushed him off of me. He allowed me to get up, but he looked extremely hurt. His expression clearly asked 'Why don't you want me?' He was like a child really…

"Stay on the bed next time, the carpet is itchy." I said as I began to make my way to my feet.

His expression briefly changed to that of relief before the cocky smile returned. "I'm sure something else can be arranged…" Kisame said and grabbed me by the waist…

* * *

I sat on the edge of the bed whilst Kisame sat behind me and happily attached his mouth to my neck and shoulders. Suddenly my phone went off and I immediately reached under the bed to retrieve it. Normally I would have ignored it or turned it off beforehand, but it was more than likely that Sasuke was ringing me.

Kisame looked at the phone as though he would quite happily throw it away without felling guilty in the slightest. "It's Sasuke." I said by way of explanation. His look softened and he allowed me to take the call. "Yes, Sasuke?" I answered.

"I recently found out that dad left just about everything to me in his will, including his debts. I've also calculated that we need to make a minimum of one million dollars before next year if we want to ever be able to repay the debts. Why did interest have to be invented?" He asked before continuing to speak. He had sobered up from his hysteria quickly... "Where are we going to get that kind of money? Even if I took up two full time jobs it wouldn't be nearly enough."

A million dollars? Knowing Sasuke, that was the bare minimum that we would need. The odd event that had occurred only last week suddenly entered my thoughts. I still had the papers somewhere… I hadn't gotten around to throwing them out yet.

"I will do all I can to help you. I'll start looking around tomorrow." I promised. Kisame obviously thought that this conversation had gone on for long enough because he had graced my shoulder with his mouth again. His unusually pointed teeth scraped my skin. "Stop it." I muttered and pushed him away.

"Stop what?" Sasuke asked, a little perplexed.

"Don't worry. Look I'm a little busy right now, I'll talk to you tomorrow." I said and quickly hung up without waiting for a response.

At this exact moment Kisame sunk his teeth into the flesh of my shoulder. It was surprisingly painful. It made me flinch, which of course just furthered the damage and increased the pain.

"Kisame, you're hurting me." I said loudly as I tried not to panic. He often hurt me of course, but he knew it was serious when I complained about the pain. He instantly released me and swore a moment later. "I'm so sorry, I didn't realize I would… I'm really sorry." He apologised profusely.

"I suggest you do something about the bleeding." I prompted.

"Right, I'll be back in a second. Don't move!" He exclaimed before running into the bathroom, which was where the first aid kit was kept.

This wasn't the first time that something like this had happened. I knew that Kisame always had to hold back on the things he wanted to do to me, otherwise I'd probably be practically dead by morning.

I looked down and assessed the damage. Blood was welling up in each tooth mark; a droplet was already sliding down my chest. Kisame reentered the room, his arms laden with a towel, bandages and a small bowl of water. He used the towel to soak up the blood before he wet a corner of the towel and washed the wound properly. Finally he secured the bandage around the wound to prevent further bleeding and infection.

I knew the sight of blood excited him, so I was surprised that he had stopped when he did. I was glad that he had that level of self-control. Some may wonder why I would choose to sleep with the monstrosity that is Kisame. I admit that the permanent sense of danger intrigued me greatly. But the tenderness with which he treated my wounds reminded me that he did see me as more than a sex object.

Kisame took the towel and the bowl of water away. Soon I heard the washing machine start up and Kisame returned to the room. "I don't have to sleep on the couch, do I?" He asked almost pitifully.

I was tempted to say yes, simply to see his reaction. But I knew at times like this he took my words much too seriously. The first time something like this had happened, I had panicked and told him to 'get out'. The next day I woke to the discovery that Kisame had packed away most of his things and was preparing to leave, even though it was his house. It made me wonder whether all of his previous partners had said something similar, but obviously they had meant it, unlike myself.

By now I knew better than to make light of the situation through sarcasm. I simply shook my head and waited for him to return to the bed. He sat next to me and hesitantly put an arm around my waist. Once again proving that his instincts were rather animalistic, he nuzzled the crook of my neck in apology.

"Let's sleep now." I said and moved to slip under the covers. He cautiously joined me as though he thought any sudden movements might scare me away.

It would take much more than _that_…

**Well, I hope that explained a few things personality and relationship wise. This chapter seems kind of... empty. Maybe that's because I've read it about five times now... Next chapter ought to be more interesting. The plot advances more.**


	4. An Important Phone Call

**I have important tests and what not over the next two weeks, so don't expect this to be updated again for at least that long. Sorry this is so late and I hope this chapter satisfies you until then!**

**Warnings: Adult themes and references to prostitution.**

**Chapter 4- **An Important Phone Call

Kisame had decided to actually go to his official workplace today, so I had some time to be alone. I needed it too. I didn't want him getting involved in my financial problems as well. Kisame had enough to worry about as it was, not to mention I didn't want him to think that I was with him for material reasons only. But there was another reason why I didn't want to go to Kisame for help; it appeared that my father had managed to pass his pride onto me, if nothing else.

My brother needed one million dollars and I knew how to get at least five hundred thousand. It involved prostitution, but I didn't have a better alternative at present. I shuffled through the paperwork on the desk before me and fished out the envelope that I was looking for.

I reread the letter and soon realized that it was quite turgid, for want of a better word. There were a lot of words on the page, but they didn't give up all that much information. The most useful things I could find were an overview of how much I'd earn and a phone number.

I hesitantly opened my phone, wondering whether I should give them a call or not. But this problem of debt was one that needed to be solved, preferably sooner rather than later… Reminding myself that I was doing this to help my brother, I dialed the number provided.

The phone only rang twice before someone answered. "Hello, and how can I help you?" asked an oddly deep voice. Could it be the same person who had given me the letter? I could only assume so.

I briefly consulted the letter again before replying. "Could I speak to the one known as Pein please?"

"Ahh, I thought you might call soon. Just a minute thank you." He replied before putting me on hold. Obviously he was the same person…

A moment later there was a brief beeping sound before a voice, which was different again, spoke. "Pein speaking, what can I do for you?" He asked. He sounded surprisingly… normal… But what had I been expecting, the mafia? A Yakuza ring leader? I realized that prostitution wasn't _exactly_ illegal, but it was certainly unheard of in most parts.

I took a short breath and began to explain. "My name is Uchiha Itachi. I was picking up a few things at a nearby store when a stranger gave me this letter. I understand that you want to employ me as a prostitute and, quite frankly, I need the money. I need a million dollars by the end of this year, but I'm afraid that even if I worked as a prostitute, I wouldn't make nearly enough. I'm curious to know whether there are other jobs available?"

There was a moment of silence before he answered. "Well… there is another way that you can work as a prostitute and earn about three times as much as you normally would. But it does involve selling yourself through a contract. The act itself is illegal, but once you've signed it the only way to get out is by earning enough money to free yourself. You should come and visit me, then we can discuss it further." He said as though he didn't expect me to even consider it.

But I was a desperate man. "Where and when?" I asked before grabbing my notepad to write down the information. He gave an address and a time before hanging up. Ten o'clock tomorrow morning and, surprisingly, the building wasn't actually all that far away.

I looked up at the clock. It was seven thirty already; Kisame would be back any minute. I folded the letter and hid it away in the desk drawer, just in case I needed it again.

Kisame didn't actually go to work very often. He had an office, but he preferred to work from home. It wasn't difficult to guess why… But soon enough he would have to get used to me not being around.

* * *

By 9pm Kisame had joined me in bed. "So… looking forward to that 'luncheon' tomorrow?" He asked suddenly, in a tone that clearly suggested that he was not.

Of course, I had promised Kisame that I would go with him to help stave off the boredom. "Well, I hate to abandon you to your fate but I actually have other business to take care of from ten onwards. You should get into the habit of telling me on what day you plan on doing things, not just in which week." I replied.

"What? But you never do anything or go anywhere. Why do you get out of it so easily?" He demanded. The look on his face was priceless; it was though I'd doomed him to eternal damnation.

"Absence makes the heart grow fonder." I quoted, not quite believing my own words. But there was a more serious side to this. If I wasn't there with him, people would question my absence. Then they would manage to plant insecurities in his head by suggesting all of the places, which I _could _be. Undoubtedly some would hold the connotation that I was cheating on him…

"Sorry." I said before falling asleep. "It can't be helped…"

* * *

I didn't realize that I had been staring into space until the loud beeping of a car horn sounded from outside. "That'll be Naruto, courteous as ever." Kisame muttered as he walked out of the front door. I hastily followed; glad that I had thought to put my shoes on already.

The limousine was parked rather haphazardly on the curb. The driver's window was rolled down, revealing a spiky blond head. I found it odd that Naruto worked in this business. He had to wear a suit everyday and I suspected that even if he tried to look neat and tidy, he would ultimately fail.

"Oi, hurry up would you! I do have other social commitments you know!" He exclaimed loudly. But his voice was usually excessively loud and it had always been. Coincidentally, Naruto had been one of my brother's friends during most of his schooling years. They had attended the same primary school and had kept in touch during their years of higher schooling.

Nowadays he had become our preferred limousine driver. He didn't ask questions and didn't care about our sexuality.

I entered the vehicle as Kisame snorted in disbelief, "You? Social commitments?" He mocked in a friendly way.

"Yes, I _do_ have a girlfriend you know!" Naruto proclaimed indignantly. He always took the bait…

"Ugh, disgusting heterosexual…" I mocked in turn. He was so easy to stir up; in fact he practically invited it. Kisame sat next to me and shut the door.

Naruto rolled his eyes childishly, "Nah, Sakura chan is real cute. I worry about he temper sometimes though…" He responded as he pulled back onto the road. "So, uh… where are we going?"

"You're asking that now? So unprofessional, I'll have to dock your pay if you keep it up." Kisame tried to say with a straight face. Naruto simply used the rear-view mirror to glare at him.

"Seventh on your right… you can count to seven can't you?"

"Shut up!"

* * *

I stood before the tall building and a sudden spurt of something in between nervousness and fear gripped my innards. I steadied myself with a slow, deep breath before leaving the street and entering the building. Inside it was surprisingly quiet. I cast my gaze around the room noticing the soft blue carpet on the floor and the walls, which were off-white in colour.

The room was large and sparsely furnished, making it appear to be even larger. There was a modern looking receptionist's desk, but no receptionist. Eerily enough, I was the only person here.

But that didn't bother me too much. I knew where I had to go and I had just spotted the elevator. I walked the short distance and pressed the 'call' button as I stood before it. Much to my surprise, the doors opened immediately. I cautiously stepped into the cramped, well-lit space. There were mirrors on the back wall, which vainly attempted to make the elevator appear larger.

I inspected an array of buttons on the elevator's wall, which were located next to the door. I pressed the button with '3' written on it and waited to be taken to the corresponding floor.

The doors finally reopened and I was greeted with a very different atmosphere. The walls and ceiling were painted black and the corridor was dimly lit with red lights, which were set in the floor rather than the ceiling. The sudden and extreme change was highly disconcerting and disorienting.

As I had been instructed, I turned left and traveled the short distance to the end of the corridor. Behind me the corridor, lined with doors, extended and turned another corner. But at this end there was only one doorway. I knocked twice on this door, which was also painted black.

"Come in." A vaguely familiar voice greeted. Obviously I had found the right place.

I entered the room, which was also painted black. However, this room was lit properly with a normal coloured light on the ceiling.

Behind the dark wooden desk, which was covered in books and files of paper, sat a man with bright orange hair. He seemed to be rather fond of piercings, for whatever reason, and his eyes were a strange colour.

"Ah there you are. Take a seat." He offered, and indicated a black, leather chair, which had been positioned, in front of his desk.

I cautiously sat down, already feeling somewhat claustrophobic. The plush carpet and the dark walls made the room feel even smaller and stuffier.

"So, you're here to discuss the uh, 'contract' if I'm not mistaken." He said. Not bothering to wait for an answer, he opened one of his desk drawers. I heard the shuffling of many loose sheets of paper and even the clinking of metal objects. What did he have in there? Knives, a gun? That worried me a little, but he only pulled out a very thick envelope before slamming the draw shut.

"Well, this ought to satisfy your 'bedtime reading' for the next few weeks, at any rate. This contains a copy of the contract. It would actually be a good idea to read it thoroughly and take notes before signing anything." Pein explained as he pushed the contract, which could have passed for a small novel, towards me. I nodded and unsealed the envelope.

"Anyway, come back in a few weeks if you still want to go through with this. As I said, you're basically selling yourself off, you are also giving up most of your human rights. The contract lasts as long as it takes for you to earn triple what we bought you for. That usually takes about a year, but you're young and attractive so you'll probably be very busy…" He added, almost as an afterthought.

I removed the first page from the envelope and quickly scanned the text. Put simply, it was an overview of the rest of the contract, though I believed that a contents page would have been more helpful.

"But how does your, uh, company make a profit out of this?" I wondered aloud.

"We take five per cent of all the money you make, as well as the amount we bought you for. An example, we commonly buy people for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. They would have to earn seven hundred and fifty thousand dollars to terminate the contract. We would then take the two hundred and fifty thousand, as well as five per cent, or thirty-seven thousand five hundred dollars.

I did a few quick mental calculations. "So I would only make four hundred and sixty thousand dollars for myself?"

"Yes, but you would fetch a much higher price than the average person, something more along the lines of five hundred thousand. So you would earn about eight hundred and fifty thousand." He replied patiently.

I nodded, satisfied for now. "I will see you again in a few weeks then." I said as I stood. I saw Pein give me a doubtful look before I turned and left.

**Phew, that's all for now, see you in a few weeks.**


	5. A Month's Time

**Warnings: ****Sexual and drug references**

**Chapter 5- **A Month's Time

"You're finished already? _Good._" Even though Kisame's voice sounded different over the phone, I could still clearly discern that he was immensely relieved.

"Surely it isn't that bad…" I muttered in response as I leant against a tall, metal post, atop of which was a streetlight. I stared at the greying pavement beneath my feet. It was still the middle of the day, yet the dense cloud overhead made it appear to be much later.

"Hmph, why don't I randomly disappear next time? Anyway, I'll come and get you, I just need to drag Naruto away from his date somehow…"

He spoke the impossible, of course. Getting Naruto to work overtime was about as likely as meeting your genetically identical twin. (That's one in a few billion.) "Don't worry, I'll just walk back. The house isn't that far from here." I assured before jumping over the low fence, which separated the road and pathway from the grassy expanse, which probably served as a park, below.

I was now standing on a patch of ground, which sloped steeply downwards. "But that means I don't have an excuse to leave!" Kisame complained. "Anyway, I'll see you in about an hour then."

"See you then." I responded before ending the call.

I had the sudden urge to speak to Sasuke, but I couldn't walk to his place from here. It would take over an hour just to get there, on foot. I was definitely not going to take a taxi either. Putting my life in the hands of some stranger…

So, I settled on a phone call. I dialed his number, suddenly glad that it was Kisame who paid my phone expenses. After all, it was he that I usually contacted.

I found myself inevitably breaking into a run as I moved downhill. The grass was slightly damp, so I came close to falling over many times. "Niisan?" Sasuke finally answered.

"Are you still holding up ok?" I asked as the ground began to flatten out a little. I decided to slide to a halt.

"I'm fine." He replied, "I can't believe how stupid our father was… How are we going to pay this off without doing something illegal, like joining a drug ring or something?"

"Don't even joke about that…" I muttered as I managed to halt my sliding without ungracefully losing my balance. I kept a steady pace as I traversed over the relatively flat ground. "Besides, I think I have a solution." I revealed, realizing that my brother was a lot more stressed than what he was letting on.

"You _do_? What?" He inquired, obviously mystified.

"I know this is going to sound 'dodgy', but I can't actually tell you that. Only that in about a month, I will be gone for a year." I explained as well as I could, hoping to abate his curiosity. A year suddenly felt like it would last an eon. But of course it wouldn't be, I had lived through twenty-four of them already, hadn't I?

"_What?_" Sasuke demanded, both his surprise and disbelief were evident. The ground began to rise in a steep slope again, the house wasn't that far away…

To fill the sudden silence, my brother spoke again, "So, why hasn't Kisame tied you to the nearest sturdy object and locked you away yet?"

I smiled slightly and shook my head, even though my brother couldn't see the gesture. "Well, he wouldn't dare, _obviously…_" I explained in a mocking tone, referring to the fact that I had been training in several forms of the martial arts since the age of four, therefore I was obviously quite proficient by now. "Though, there is the fact that I haven't actually told him yet…" I said, trying to muster my most pensive of voices.

"I have a feeling that that is relevant." Sasuke replied. I could practically _hear_ his eyes rolling.

"Anyway, I've used the phone enough today, I'd better go before I get brain cancer. I'll talk to you again before I leave." I promised.

"Alright then, see you." He responded as he, rather reluctantly, ended the call.

I reached the house about twenty minutes later. The streets had taken longer to navigate than I had anticipated. I had the sudden urge to go back to sleep, even though it was only mid-afternoon. Instead I decided to utilize my time more effectively by beginning the huge task of reading through the contract.

Twenty minutes of reading a text, which was so specific that I had to read certain sentences three or four times before they made sense, was enough to convince me that I would never study law… ever…

I stored the papers in my draw before returning to the bedroom. I dressed down before trying to get to sleep.

So deep was my sleep that when I woke, I was highly disoriented. I noticed that Kisame was sitting in the bed next to me, reading, his strangely hued skin showing to the waist, the rest being covered by the blankets.

I sat up so that I could better see out of the window. It was turning on evening, outside being almost completely dark. "Finally awake I see." Kisame stated quietly, as he marked his place in the book and put it aside. He dropped it on the floor, in other words.

"Mm," was my only response as I turned to face him properly.

"Are you feeling all right?" He asked, evidently concerned.

I did not deign him with a response because my thoughts were currently elsewhere. 'A month' was what I had told my brother. That meant I had a month to recover properly… I hesitantly crawled towards him, not used to initiating this kind of thing. On reflection I decided that I should use this month to learn…

"I think I know what would make us both feel a bit better…"

* * *

When I woke again, the first thing I registered was the pain, in the form of a persistent ache. It was uncomfortable, but not entirely unbearable. Deciding that I really needed a shower, I tried to get up. However, my efforts were rendered useless when a sudden stab off pain prevented me from so much as sitting up.

I cried out softly, more out of surprise than the pain itself. But it was still enough to attract Kisame to the room. "Are you ok?" He asked, obviously concerned. "What are you trying to do?"

"I'm fine," His skeptical look caused me to add, "mentally, at least. I was just trying to get to the shower."

"Here, let me help." He offered as he crossed the room. I winced slightly when he picked me up. I tried not to let my discomfort show when I saw how guilty he looked.

Once we were in the bathroom, he closed the door, revealing the full-length mirror. I was shocked by my reflection. There were bruises, a lot of bruises. My neck, across my shoulders and my wrists were the worst areas that I could see. When he put me down I noticed that the area around my hipbones and the inside of my thighs had also been fairly abused. When I turned around (causing another shoot of sharp pain), I saw what could have been a smear of blood.

"Well it's not as bad as I thought letting you have free reign would be. I'm still conscious…" I eventually spoke.

"Don't worry, I won't do it again." He muttered quietly before helping me to the shower. He sat me on the tiled floor whilst he undressed.

"I know you feel guilty, but aren't you… relieved or something?" I asked, not quite sure how to word my question. I hoped that last night hadn't been a horrible mistake. I wanted Kisame to have a good memory before I had to leave for so long…

"Well, I _do_ feel a bit… relieved as you put it. But I'm just a tad more worried about your health than my sexual release." He said, giving me a somewhat appraising look.

"I know you'll look after me in the morning, I don't mind that much…" I replied, right before the freezing cold water hit me. "Anyway…" I muttered as he bent down to put me on my feet again. "Before we got… distracted last night, I was meant to tell you that in about a month, I'll have to up and leave for about a year."

He frowned and paused. "Why? Why for so long?"

"The debt, what else?" I replied, being purposefully vague. Obviously I didn't want to give any details.

"It's not illegal or anything, right?" He asked in a concerned tone.

"No, it will just take a very long time." I could tell from his expression that he wanted to ask more, but I was glad when he didn't. Evidently he trusted me enough to not pry.

"This is definitely sudden." He finally settled on saying.

"It's not _that_ long. What are you now, thirty? I'm sure you can survive a year on your own." I tried to console as I took the soap he offered and began to clean myself.

**Ok… I have no idea what the next chapter will be about. I had all these great plans for the next month, but now I can't remember them. Maybe I'll just time skip.**

**Anonymous Reviewer**

**Sunset Notes: This will be finished... eventually. School takes all my writing time away D: But patience is a virtue!  
**


	6. Introductions

**A lot happens in this chapter, so I warn you that it may be a little sloppy, and it is quite long for my standards. (Longest chapter I've ever put on this site).**

**Warnings:**** Reference to prostitution and sexual intercourse.**

**Chapter 6-** Introductions

I could feel the desperation in his kisses. It seemed as though he was trying to cram as much passion into the little time we had left. Maybe announcing that I would be departing the next day right at this very moment hadn't been such a bright idea…

"Look Kisame, I get the message and I'm glad that you feel so strongly about me, but I might suffocate if you keep this up." I managed to push him away long enough to get out.

"Sorry," he apologised quickly and immediately backed off.

"It's all right." I assured, "I was just hoping to sleep properly tonight, so can we give the kissing a rest?" I asked before making myself comfortable under the blankets.

"I'm just going to miss you so much." He sighed and embraced me gently once again.

"I don't particularly want to leave either, however my brother needs my help." I stated evenly. I was already nervous enough as it was. The past month had gone by so quickly. It was only this morning that I had visited my brother and warned him not to be surprised if extra money began to show up in his account.

I knew that both Sasuke and Kisame were morbidly curious as to what I would be doing for the next year or so. But that would have to be something that I kept to myself for the rest of my life.

Now that our remaining hours were limited, Kisame had taken it upon himself to spend as much time touching as much of me as possible. It was rather uncomfortable at times, but it was still rather touching…

All too soon it was daylight again. Today I would be leaving. I woke to see Kisame staring at me, I noticed his eyes were somewhat bloodshot and rather dark underneath.

"Did you not sleep at all?" I asked as I slowly sat up.

"Who could sleep?" He murmured as he shifted his arm, which was still slung around my waist. "Spend all night staring at your lover… Time well spent!" He concluded with a small chuckle.

I gently removed his arm and made my way to my feet. "You're getting old, you can't keep pulling all-nighters!" I pretended to lecture. He smirked and began to raise his pillow, as though to throw it at me. "So anyway, hungry?" I asked quickly, not in the mood to be attacked by a pillow.

He nodded, "Always."

'Always' was exactly right when it came to Kisame's metabolism. "Great, you can make breakfast while I have a shower, then." I replied before wandering off to the drawers to find something appropriate to wear.

I had already packed a suitcase of clothing and some toiletries, but I somehow doubted that I would actually need them… I knew that I would work mostly from the building that I had visited Pein in, though I had no idea in what room, let alone which floor. It was rather ironic really, I would be so close to Kisame, yet he would have no idea…

Upon exiting the shower in my usual office attire, I smelt something like pancakes. I smiled slightly, remembering the mess I had created trying to make pancakes about a year ago. My failed pancake flipping skills had resulted in many 'crispy critters', as Kisame had called them.

I moved off down the corridor, absently pulling a brush through my fringe. As I walked into the kitchen I shoved it into my suitcase, which was perched upon one of the spare kitchen chairs.

I sat on another chair as Kisame placed breakfast in front of me. "Thanks, but you didn't have to…"

"S'ok." He muttered as he sat opposite me. I noticed that he hadn't made any for himself. He seemed content to just look at me for long periods of time. Was he worried that he would forget what I looked like?

In any case, it was getting uncomfortable. "That's getting a bit creepy." I stated as I rolled up one of the pancakes. I particularly disliked people watching me eat. Not to mention, no one was used to having that much of one person's attention focused on them.

"Sorry." He muttered and averted his gaze.

* * *

Later in the morning, he had me pinned against the wall of the main hallway and was kissing me once again. "Hey, hey…" I warned lightly as he moved from my mouth and made his way down my neck. "Behave, it'll be embarrassing if someone spots a hickey on me."

He very lightly and gently continued on. I sighed softly in resignation, rather than content and placed a hand on the back of his neck.

I heard a car pull up on the curb, I knew it must have been Naruto. "I have to go now." I said and gently pushed him away. He leant back and I moved to grab my suitcase.

"Call me." He said in a half joking tone, as I stopped in the entrance way to put my shoes on.

"Keep paying the phone bill and I will." I replied with a small smirk.

He shook his head in return, muttering something along the lines of, "Of course…"

I turned and left, knowing that I would not return for a long time. I briefly hoped that Kisame wouldn't change drastically whilst I was absent, before getting into the limousine. The main reason I was taking it was to keep up appearances. By now I had gathered that Kisame and my brother thought I was going somewhere important…How little they knew.

* * *

Naruto had dropped me off a block away from the actual building, my excuse being that I would meet with another driver here. Naruto waved and yelled, "I'll miss youuuu!" out of the window as he drove away. Others may have died of embarrassment at this point, but I was well used to Naruto's antics.

The luggage had managed to become rather more cumbersome than I had originally thought, as I made my way to the correct building.

When I entered, I was once again greeted by the eerie silence of the building's first floor. I quickly made my way to the elevator, but this time the elevator was not empty when I called it.

A woman, who was obviously a prostitute, was standing inside it, looking quite ticked off. Calling the elevator must have interrupted her trip to elsewhere. The reason as to why a building this large only had one elevator eluded me.

I had no choice but to get into the confined space. The woman wore surprisingly high heels, though she was still only about as tall as I was. She wore what looked like a yuukata that had been cut off about halfway up her backside, which proved how little substance her underwear was made of. It was done up loosely, revealing a large amount of breast.

Her hair was the same shade of purple-blue as her top, and it has a small white rose tied into it. I briefly mused that I should dye my own hair a bright colour so that I would fit in.

"You headed my way?" She asked after a few moments of silence, shifting her shoulder, so that more skin was revealed. Suddenly I was immensely glad that I was strictly homosexual, otherwise I probably would have found myself in a rather embarrassing situation.

She obviously noticed that I was uninterested, because a moment later she cast a glance over my suitcase. "Wait… You're the new guy, aren't you?" She didn't wait for an answer, but continued to talk. "That bastard! He made me think you were an important client… ugh…" She continued to mumble, her face heating up from embarrassment. She sighed and closed her top as she turned away.

The elevator stopped at the third floor. "Come on then. I guess I'm stuck doing your orientation." She muttered and stalked off into the corridor.

"Ah, look, I found him." Pein said in a teasing tone. I noticed he was standing next to the elevator, waiting for us by the sounds of things. "You should treat him better, do you know how much I paid for him?" Pein continued to speak as though I wasn't there.

She continued to glare at him for a while, then her facial expression changed. "Alright, alright, I'm curious. Now you mention it, he is too good looking to get stuck in a place like this." She conceded and began striding in the opposite direction of Pein's office.

I soon realized that it was very difficult to make out people's faces in the red lighting, which oddly emitted from the floor on either side of the corridor.

"Put your things in there." Pein indicated a door, with a metal number '1' on the front. "You'll be living there for the next year, so you can unpack later."

I opened the door, only able to see pitch-blackness. I put my suitcase inside the doorway before closing the door and turning back into the corridor.

The blue-haired woman had entered another room at the end of the corridor. I could match her brisk pace now that I had offloaded the extra weight.

"Here's the contract." I said quietly. I handed it to Pein before entering the brightly-lit room, a stark contrast to the dark corridor.

There were several full-length mirrors on the doors of the built-in wardrobe. The still nameless woman was already rummaging around inside. "Hey Pein," she called out, "I think that weird green colour will actually suit that kid."

Kid? Apparently she was older than she appeared to be. She removed a top, which was similar to her own, and a grey obi to go with it.

"Better strip down honey, don't worry, I've seen it all before." She advised as she approached me with the garments.

I couldn't help but feel embarrassed as I shed my clothing, particularly when I noticed the lust, which was present in the woman's eyes. Though she was gracious enough to try to hide it.

She held the garment up and I navigated my arms through the long sleeves. The material was light and silky and would have been comfortable if half of my backside wasn't showing. Unlike the gi I wore whilst practicing martial arts, this did not have ties to help keep it on, for obvious reasons…

She wrapped the obi around my waist and tied it at the back. I realized that this wasn't done in the traditional style so that it would be easier to get off as well. Finally she fiddled around with the top half of my clothing until she was satisfied.

Next, she produced another piece of material, which could only be meant to be worn as underwear, though it looked more like underwear's distant relative…

"Here is your male push up bra, designed and created by yours truly." She smirked, I guessed because of my facial expression, and handed me the item.

"Thanks… I think." I muttered as I began the awkward process of putting it on.

When I was done, she grabbed my shoulders and turned me so that I was facing Pein. "Isn't he good enough for you yet?"

"I don't know Konan, I think he can do better than that." He replied as he eyed me critically.

"You're right, his legs still need to be waxed." Konan said as she, almost happily, dragged me into another room.

This room was white and sterile, for some reason it reminded me of the dentist. "You can't be serious." I deadpanned as I saw her preparing what appeared to be the wax. I knew my apprehension was etched on my face.

"Oh quiet you sulk." She practically giggled in response.

"What are you, a sadist?" I replied in a flat tone.

But a few painful minutes later, I found my legs to be smooth, shiny and surprisingly red. Before I could escape the madwoman, she removed the lackey from my hair. "What now?" I asked rather more harshly than the situation called for.

She yanked a brush through my hair as she replied, "I have to keep "prettying you up" until Pein approves. Also there are a few things I should teach you, which could be useful in your current occupation. These clothes are designed so that if you shrug in a certain way, a shoulder and more of your chest is revealed. Clients tend to… appreciate it."

She continued to run her fingers through my hair and kept speaking. "Being able to blush on command is also very useful. You already smell good, or maybe that's just me. Either way, try to apply some of the things I told you so Pein will approve that you're ready to work." Konan encouraged and pointed at the door, which led back into the mirrored room.

I shifted slightly, trying to imitate Konan's earlier movement. I had always been good at learning things through imitation, so I accomplished the maneuver the first time I tried it.

Thinking of what I was about to do made me blush from shame. "Always address the client with 'sama'." Konan added as I walked through the door before my blush could fade.

I would need to work a lot on my paranoia and personal space issues before I could perform this job properly. This became apparent when I entered the room and found Pein shamelessly staring at me.

Konan gave me a expectant look, so I reluctantly ground out a, "Pein sama?"

He approached me and circled behind me. I was so uncomfortable that I experienced the feeling I got when preparing to spar against someone. Ready to react and launch my own attacks at any time.

"Yes, that's perfect. You just have to work on your ethics and paranoia." He evaluated as he headed back into the hallway.

I followed, feeling particularly self-conscious in my new 'clothing'. "Here," Konan added as she handed me my old clothes and another of the 'half-yuukatas'. This one was red with black lining around the hemlines. "This'll suit you too."

As we passed the elevator, she disappeared into it again. But Pein continued ahead into his office, so I followed after him. When I reached the doorway, he was already on the other side of the desk.

He bent down and opened the bottom most drawer of his desk, thankfully this one did not clink ominously. He began removing a number of items and placing them on the floor, there was little spare room on the desk.

The red haired man removed several tubes of what appeared to be lubrication, a box of condoms and several larger bottles, which resembled those in which shampoo was usually stored. I was glad that he decided to pause and explain.

"To continue being successful, you will have to become incredibly vain. To maintain the healthy skin and shiny hair constantly, you will have to ensure you eat properly and use some of these," He indicated the bottles before adding, "everyday."

I nodded and sat in the black leather seat, trying to ease my discomfort. Unfortunately the fabric only rode up my legs even further, making me feel worse. Pein pulled a dark bag from under his desk and put everything in it except the lubrication and a few condoms.

"I don't know whether you noticed, but your obi has some elastic loops on the reverse side." I slid my hand in between the fabric and checked. Indeed there were. "Use them to hold these. If they're close at hand, the client will be more likely to agree to use them. Safe sex is important here too, as is being non-discriminating. You'll get men, women, top, bottom… I should warn you that our regulars are generally two or three decades older than you and because you're good looking, I'm afraid you will attract the the perverted yet rich 'creeps'. On that note I should mention that there is no such thing as rape here. If you can't get a condom on them beforehand, then that's your problem."

I was quite sure that it wouldn't be a problem, there were plenty of holds that I could use to immobilize them long enough…

"Before I leave you to sort out your living space, I have one last topic to discuss. Even though this particular setup is quite legal, I am involved in plenty of things, which are not. This little enterprise does actually raise funds for a larger gang body. Throughout the year there are several meetings… which I can't say too much about. But an attractive whore is always useful, if you see my meaning. The next one will be in two week's time, so I will ask you again closer to the date." He looked at me warily. Was he looking for a reaction of some sort?

"Of course there are added benefits, you'll be paid triple time whether you take customers or not. Though you'll have to get used to me touching you, but all you really have to do is sit there and make me look good. As you get more confident, you may want to serve customers to make some extra money. But you'll have to do a very good job in order to uphold our reputation."

I shifted uncomfortably at the thought. "Yes, it would be better to inquire closer to the date." I replied simply. I definitely was not ready for something like that right at this very moment.

"Of course, and you have your first client tonight at eight thirty. He has graciously taken my offer of a half price session to let you practice. You don't have to worry about any dangers tonight. If he does step out of line, just let me know…" He added quietly, almost threateningly.

I nodded in response and took up the bag. According to the clock I still had about eight hours before I would have to worry about my first client.

**And the first client will be… I don't actually know… Probably Kakashi or something weird like that. So much dialogue in this chapter, I hope it wasn't too painful to read.  
Also I have exams in a month's time, so again, no updates for about four weeks at least.**


	7. Practice

**By now you should all know the warnings by heart.**

**Chapter 7- **Practice

I entered the area that would now service as my living space, almost falling over my suitcase in the process. I had forgotten that I had left it in the doorway…

After some fumbling I located the light switch, which revealed the room to me in a dim, yellowish light. I noticed that a knob next to the switch allowed the intensity of the light to be altered.

Directly in front of me, across the room, there was a single bed with a square window positioned above it. The window was closed off with curtains of a plum-purple shade. I noticed that the bed sheets matched this colour exactly. The walls were off white and the floor was carpeted in dark blue.

To my left there were what appeared to be the sliding doors of a built in wardrobe. However, they were open slightly, revealing a kitchen area. I realised that this was a guise so the client would only be aware of the bedroom's existence. I did have some privacy after all. Before entering the kitchen fully, I noticed that there was even another pair of sliding doors to create a fake back in the closet.

I continued on into the kitchen. It was lit by sunlight, a rare sight in these winter months. Either I would get very cold, or this place had a very good heating system. I fervently hoped for the latter.

The kitchen area was plain, white and clean. I found that all of my basic necessities had been catered for. Water, milk, bread, oven, stove, microwave, fridge… The note stuck to the fridge caught my attention. It detailed that I was supposed to write the supplies that I needed for the coming week upon it. These would then be provided to me.

Walking past the wooden pantry door, I entered another room. Judging from the shower, toilet and washing machine, this was the bathroom/laundry area.

I briefly wondered what I should actually do for the next few hours, before deciding that I should probably unpack. I put my extra clothing in what would normally have been used as a linen cupboard. I stocked the shower with the many body cleansers Pein had provided before thinking to check my phone.

It didn't surprise me when I found a text from Kisame, requesting that I reply as soon as I reached my destination. I checked the clock and saw that it had already been three hours since I had originally left the house. It was probably safe enough to reply without him thinking that I was still in the immediate area.

'_im here but i will be busy frm 8 onwards_' I replied with fantastic grammar. Thinking that there was a strong possibility that I would get little to no sleep tonight, I turned off the light and tried to get some now. It was obvious why the curtains were so dark and thick. It was easier to sleep in the dark.

* * *

I woke at about seven-thirty, only half an hour until I would have to face my first client. I made my way into the bathroom and fixed myself up again as best as I could. It seemed to be rather pointless in the scheme of things, but I somehow knew that presentation would be important anyway. I closed the sliding doors that concealed the rest of my living space as I reentered the bedroom.

I opened the curtains, allowing moonlight into the otherwise dark room. Strangely enough the sky was still void of clouds.

A knock came at the door at exactly eight o'clock. I opened it somewhat hesitantly and found my brother's year nine English teacher staring back at me**. (Yup, learning a certain amount of English is pretty much mandatory in Japanese schools.) **

I started a little in shock before saying, "So, I have finally discovered something that you aren't late for."

He turned his head to the side, as though he were confused. Suddenly it seemed to click as a glint of recognition alighted in his visible eye. "Aa, Itachi, long time no see. I barely recognised you." He replied, letting himself in. "I see why this is free now, Kisame will hunt me down afterward, right?"

"Probably, if he finds out." I replied and followed him to the bed. "Wait… free? I was told you would be getting half price." I asked, wondering whether I was going to get paid for this at all. Going through this was bad enough as it was; I had been with Kisame since I was a virgin after all.

"Well, someone kindly offered to pay that if I passed on a message." Kakashi answered, vague as ever, as he sat on the bed.

"Which was? From whom?" I prompted as I sat down next to him.

"Oh well, it was something along the lines of, 'it's good to see you've finally chosen a side. Your father was always hopeless. You get a prize when you figure out who I am.'" It was obvious that he was quoting someone or something word for word.

"What?" I asked after a brief pause. Chosen a side? I had no idea what that was supposed to mean, or who this person was. The only clue I had was that this person had known my father and hadn't been a huge fan of his. In short, it could be just about anyone.

But the fact that they wanted me to guess either meant that I already knew them or that they were famous and easy to find…

"So… I know we have all night, but can we get started soon?" Kakashi's words interrupted my thoughts.

"Right, I suppose that will be the last time that anyone actually asks me to have sex with them." I said as I shifted slightly. The prospect made me uncomfortable.

"Probably." He replied nonchalantly.

* * *

He really did look strange when a mask wasn't covering half of his face. I had no idea why he felt the need to dress so eccentrically. All I knew was that I was glad he was finally asleep. Still, I was a little too close to him for comfort; there wasn't much room on the bed.

I felt like having a very long, very hot shower. I also found myself missing Kisame's blue presence…

* * *

As soon as he left, I showered for close to an hour and a half. I couldn't help but feel dirty, filthy even. I really did hope that this would get easier as I went along. As soon as I became apathetic towards the situation, it would have to be easier to bear.

Unfortunately it soon became apparent that it would take more than hot water and soap to get rid of this feeling…

**Hmm, abysmally short compared to the last chapter, but five and a half pages takes me forever to write, so this one was only two. As usual, can't make any promises about when the next update will be up.**


	8. Women

**Chapter 8-** Women

I woke, momentarily confused as to where I was. Even though I had been working and sleeping here for about a week and a half, I still felt these brief moments of confusion. Generally a feeling of loneliness accompanied this state when I noticed Kisame wasn't there.

I could hear the rain falling in torrents, hitting the building with a steady rhythm. I turned away from the window, wanting to get a few more hours of sleep.

Just as I was about to get back to sleep, the door to my room was flung open. Pein entered the room, slamming the door behind him. "Rise and shine Itachi, we need to talk." He announced as he sat on the part of the bed that was not taken up by me.

"Hn." I replied, not shifting. I was excessively tired after having been with three different people last night. It would take me a very long time to get used to those acts, if I ever did. For now, I remained exhausted and… numb is the only word that would suit my emotional state.

"As I mentioned last week, there will be a meeting between our supporting firms and competitors. There's no need for you to know anymore than that, but you should know the date has been shifted to tomorrow night. Are you still up to attending?" Pein questioned, seeming to understand and/or ignore my obvious fatigue.

I shifted my blanket slightly so that I could see his face. "I just have to sit there and look pretty, right?" I muttered.

"Essentially, but I will be touching you somewhat invasively." He reminded.

"Can't be much more intrusive than what I had to put up with last night alone."

"I'll take that as a yes, then. You won't have any clients tonight and yes, Konan is going to dress you up for tomorrow." He finished before standing.

"What time should I expect her?" I asked, now feeling a little more awake. Oh well, I had tonight to sleep.

"Early noon. She's… fastidious." He answered with a slight smile.

"I noticed." I replied, getting up to retrieve something to eat.

"Oh, and now that you seem to be getting used to this role, Konan will instruct you on how to deal with women. Also, I'm afraid I'm going to have to start subjecting you to Orochimaru. He's been asking for you and he might withdraw his 'support' if we make him wait for too long." Pein continued.

"Is that bad?" I asked, pausing. Only now did I feel self conscious about how little the clothing I was wearing covered me.

"He is a regular and pays very well… however, we've had trouble with him in the past. He can be violent and very, well, perverted, for want of a better word. We will take into account how rough he is when it comes to planning your schedule." Pein answered.

"Right…" I mumbled, moving off into my living quarters.

"I'll send Konan around in about an hour then." Pein replied before exiting the room.

I sighed as I picked up my mobile. I hadn't realised that he meant I'd be getting my instruction today. I saw there was another message from Kisame. '_hey Itachi do u think I should be worried about blue balls?_'

I just shook my head at his horrible joke. He must be getting bored already… '_don't u think it's a bit late for that_' I sent in return. 'Text-speech' had been difficult for me to get used to, but it actually worked out cheaper if you sent as few letters as possible.

I stretched, feeling stiff and tired. I put some toast on as my mind unavoidably wondered to the dilemma of how I was supposed to cook properly for myself. Kitchens didn't seem to agree with me…

The toast popped at the same time as my phone beeped, indicating a message had been received. '_oh damn… I can't believe I have to put up with another 52 weeks of this_'

'_maybe u should think of it as 0.98 of a year instead_'

I heard a knock on my door, which coincided with a, "You up yet, Itachi?" It was Konan, of course.

"I am now." I answered, crossing the room to open the door.

"No, no, you have to at least make an effort to be a little…'romantic' with women, especially if you want them as regulars. They may just develop a soft spot for you and favour you." Konan reprimanded as she let herself in.

"Oh, excuse me madam, I didn't realise it was one as fair as yourself." I replied, trying not to yawn. My sleeping patterns did not agree with this occupation.

She just laughed at my sarcastic attempt. "Ack, too corny, too corny!"

"Not to mention prejudiced. Shouldn't you be attracted to someone who actually has a personality?" I replied.

"That's more like it." Konan praised, "You're probably not going to get many self-confident, gorgeous ladies. In fact they'll probably be put off because you're prettier than them." She mused before returning to seriousness. "Have you ever been with a woman before?" She asked before moving to the bed.

I shook my head; no.

"Alright," Konan said, "I'd better start showing you the tricks of the trade…"

* * *

I woke a few hours later to see Konan was still here, in my bed, too. I froze when I saw her smile up at me from her position of leaning on my chest. That was how I usually greeted Kisame when he woke up...

"Get out." I said coldly as I pushed her off of me.

She just smiled a little mischievously as though she'd been expecting as much. "Can't sorry, got to get you ready first. Didn't you see the time?" I noticed it was about 1:30 p.m. I'd slept for much longer than I had thought.

The next hour or so involved activities such as Konan forcing me to shower, drying my hair, dressing me in the black and red version of my prostitute get up and applying make up to conceal any bruises, scratches and whatever else Konan didn't approve of.

Pein came in at about three to hurry us along. Apparently we still had a few hours of driving ahead of us. To my surprise, Pein was dressed in casual clothing. I had to keep reminding myself that this had nothing to do with the Mafia… at least I hoped it didn't. If it did, it would mean I had actually lied to Kisame about not doing anything illegal…

Pein wore a black denim jacket, which was open to reveal a red T-shirt underneath. He also had black jeans and when he turned around, I noticed and odd logo on the back of his jacket. It was red, white and sort of cloud-shaped and was situated across his shoulder blades.

I was surprised when Pein suddenly held me close to him, running his hands over me. My initial instinct was to attack him, but his touch seemed to have an unusual effect on me. I felt my face heat up from something close to embarrassment.

"I'm not that bad, am I?" He asked, smirking. He seemed to have guessed that only moments ago I had been about to attack him. "Still, that blush looks good. You make a good status symbol, and yes that should be taken as a compliment."

As Pein shifted slightly, I felt there was something in his jacket pocket. I put my hand over it, frowning. It was solid and sizeable enough to make a good weapon… Then I realised that it was actually a gun.

"Is this little escapade going to be particularly dangerous?" I asked. There wasn't much I could do to protect myself from being shot at from a distance.

"Don't worry, if there is trouble, the target won't be you." He assured before beckoning me to follow him. "Let's get going."

**Next chapter may take a while because I'm still tossing up ideas about how the plot will progress. I was going to reintroduce Kisame into the story in the next chapter, but now I think it's still a bit too early for that… But I have two months off school, so maybe it won't take that long. I don't know anymore…**


	9. The Meeting

**For see1like because you reviewed every chapter since you started reading this story and single-handedly motivated me to write another chapter (even if it was, perhaps, not put up as soon as you would like...) **

**Chapter 9- **The Meeting

I was beginning to notice a trend. Konan and another blond man I didn't know were also in the limousine, and were also wearing black and red 'uniforms'. I looked up at the dark, nighttime sky as the streetlights flashed down at regular intervals.

As we came to a halt Pein spoke, "Look sharp you lot, we're here." He opened the door on the pavement side and got out. I sat indecisively, wondering if I should follow. My confusion was soon cleared up when Konan frantically gesticulated for me to follow him out first. The blond man just sighed and rolled his visible eye, probably at my lack of knowledge. I realised that I would have to learn fast. Pein didn't look very happy, though he seemed to be more annoyed at himself for not explaining things to me beforehand.

We entered the two-story building and I soon found that it looked as though it had once been a hotel. We appeared to be in the lobby area, but this lobby was furnished with several groups of couches, armchairs and tables. It also had a pungently smoky atmosphere; I could smell more than just tobacco in the air… There were stairs to an upper floor, which probably had rooms for hire. I felt that not a lot of sleeping would get done in them.

"I suppose it's a bad time to mention my asthma, huh?" I joked weakly, exceedingly nervous all of a sudden.

"Don't worry, we're not staying amongst the feral." He replied, "Most of this lot are just customers for the drug ring."

"How can you do that to people?" I demanded quietly, "Destroying their mental capacity for your own prosperity."

"Hey, I never said it was _my_ drug ring! Actually, it's your grandfather's." He added as he led me through a door, which had been painted white. Thankfully this room wasn't full of non-breathable air.

"I don't have a grandfather, he died-" I paused as I realised that my dad had to have a father as well. Though, Sasuke and I had never met him. Perhaps my father had ostracised him for being gay as well. All I knew of him was his name, and that had only been found out by listening to he and my mother having a row about whether Sasuke and I should at least meet him. "Uchiha Madara?" I asked with a sense of foreboding. Was it he who had sent me the message with Kakashi?

"Ah, that would be the one, but you'll have to wait until we get back before you get your reward." He replied, before turning his attention to the ten or so other people in the room. I wasn't sure I wanted a 'reward' from this Madara person, somehow…

"How the hell do you do it!?" One man stormed at Pein, attempting to glare him down. "Just as you arrived, my assassin went missing! I'll probably find him dead as well!"

"Oh dear, maybe he fell." Said Pein, with mock concern.

The other man just snorted and left the room. I shifted closer to Pein as the man passed and looked up at him in askance.

"Later." He promised, before putting an arm around my waist and seating us on a vacant, white couch. I was infinitely glad that the material wasn't leather, it got so uncomfortable when you weren't wearing pants… This room was surprisingly bright and tidy compared to the 'feral' one, as Pein had so eloquently put it.

The half-masked man sitting across from us laughed humourlessly, "Shouldn't that one be gathering funds? We'd make a packet."

"We already make more than a packet on these escapades, Kakuzu. Besides, he makes me look cool!" He taunted in a friendly manner.

Ignoring the gazes of the other people in the room, I tried to relax. However, Pein made this difficult by putting a hand on my upper thigh. I didn't know why I reacted to him so strongly when I hadn't for anyone, bar Kisame, until now. I glared at him, not quite sure what he could have done, even if it was his fault.

The other patrons in the room had noticed the sudden spurt of tension. Suddenly I found myself being able to think with more clarity.

"I'm sorry Itachi, I forgot that you had been injured there." Pein invented a viable excuse for my glare. I knew it wouldn't do for people to think his whore didn't enjoy his company. So he instead shifted his hand to my inner thigh. This time I had no out of place reaction and privately felt relieved. It still didn't explain what Pein had done to me, though.

* * *

Hours later it was mutually agreed that we would have a break. Embarrassingly enough, I realised that I had fallen asleep at some point. Pein just laughed it off, using it as an excuse to go and get some fresh air. After navigating our way upstairs and finding an empty balcony area, I asked Pein the questions that had been bugging me all night

"What did you do to me?"

"Hm, it's difficult to explain. Madara sama will want to do the explaining anyway… Let's just say I'm able to influence people."

'I can also communicate telepathically, of course.' A voice added, as though it was coming from the inside of my head.

I had the railing of the balcony in a death grip as I turned to face him again. My thoughts were everywhere, panicked, irrational. What if he influenced me to jump off this balcony, as he had probably done with that assassin? He could make me do any amount of things. What if he made me hurt Sasuke or Kisame or-

'Or what if he's been ordered to protect you and wouldn't do that to you anyway?' Pein added sounding amused and somewhat resigned. 'A bit paranoid aren't we?'

Had he killed my father? What would he do to me when I wasn't of use anymore? The fact that he could invade my mind easily and at will had me practically in hysterics. My body had been invaded and now my mind. I had nowhere…

"Calm down, Itachi." He muttered out loud this time, hands on my shoulders. My thoughts began to slow down a little, probably under his influence. 'I'm afraid it was my influence that killed your old man. But the way Madara behaves, it was either him or me. It wasn't anything personal. But Madara doesn't want you in a state of morbid depression, so don't worry about your brother or your… lover.' He spoke, seemingly from within my mind once more.

He pulled me close again and I felt myself overreacting and blushing again. "Stop that!" I hissed angrily, glaring up into his oddly ringed eyes.

"I'm sorry. It's instinctive for me to influence people I… ah… want." He explained, looking a bit embarrassed at being caught. I felt the odd 'cloud' that blocked my thought processes lift and clarity return. I found it disconcerting that I never noticed the onset of 'the cloud'…

"Let's go back in. They're waiting for me." I had no doubts that he actually knew this and wasn't just saying it because time was getting on.

**It may be a little hard to tell between telepathic speech and speaking out loud, but it's difficult for the characters unless they pay attention, too, so we're all in the same boat :)**


	10. Revelations

**Yay, praise. :D**

**Warnings:**** Madara and his enormous monologues…Yeah ok, no warnings for this chapter, really.**

**Chapter 10-** Revelations

I found myself being woken by Pein yet again. "Nngh?" I questioned incoherently as he continued to speak.

"- waiting, so hurry up and get ready. You want your reward, don't you?"

"Do I?" I questioned aloud, knowing full well that it was Madara who was waiting. I opened the doors of the wardrobe and moved into my concealed living space to get changed. "Can I wear real clothes?" I asked, eying my boxer shorts. My current form of underwear was far from comfortable.

"If you want to. This isn't 'work', so it doesn't matter." He replied, now leaning on the door frame to my living space.

I took the business attire I had arrived in from the linen cupboard, which served as my real wardrobe these days. "That means you don't have to watch me get changed." I snapped, moving off into the bathroom for more privacy. After staying up to three o'clock in the morning at his 'meeting', one would think that I would be allowed to sleep in past nine…

I exited the bathroom properly clothed and with an odd sense of relief, which probably stemmed from the comfort and familiarity of my clothes. Pein led me to the elevator and we went up to the fifth floor.

"Why does this building only have one elevator?" I queried, remembering that I had been wondering the same thing during my first encounter with Konan.

"Security. It's much easier to watch one elevator rather than three, isn't it?" Pein replied.

"True. What's on the fourth and second floors?"

"Women's quarters on the fourth. The trading room on the second." In response to my confusion he added, "Did I explain you can be hired out to a client's home for a month at a time? That's where you meet with clients who want to do this. It's also the real reception area." I nodded, making note of this information for future use.

We exited the elevator, which opened into a plain, short corridor with only two doors. We went through the nearest, entering a spacious office. A middle-aged man with dark, shoulder length hair was seated behind the desk. The wall behind him was mostly taken up by a large window, which showed only the sides of other taller buildings. But it did give a clear view of the street below which, I reflected, was probably a part of its purpose.

Currently, the man was speaking on the phone, his chair turned away from us, so that I could only see his profile. As Pein indicated that I should take the vacant chair, I noticed the other man's eyes were red.

I sat as Pein mentally pointed out that this man was Madara. 'It will be explained in a moment.' He added as I began wondering how that could even begin to make sense. My grandfather was the same age as my father? This man couldn't be any older than forty-five, after all…

Madara sighed loudly as he put the phone down, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "Go away and don't listen." He casually ordered of Pein, who simply nodded and left the room. Suddenly I felt that I recognised something about him. Of course, his features were definitely that of an Uchiha, so there was a strong family resemblance. But there was something more…

A few moments after the door had closed, he turned to me and spoke, "So, you're the grandchild I've heard so much about." He straightened his chair so that he was facing me properly before speaking again. "Sad that you only know of me because of your parents' rowing. I believe you have a brother as well?" This time he waited for an answer.

"What of it?" I asked uncomfortably.

"Please, relax. I was just curious. He was born after my people stopped watching your family, so his existence has always been more of a rumour. According to Pein, you have some questions to ask of me, so ask away."

I hesitated, wondering where to start. "Why did you kill Fugaku, and what did you mean by 'chose a side'?" I asked, quoting what I remembered of his message.

"When I sent that message, I hadn't realised how little you knew about the Uchiha's background. Like most people, we came into money by organised crime. You would be surprised by how many old families got their money in this way." He mused, putting his sock-clad feet on the desk and swinging back on his chair. "So, I had to get Pein to fill in a few gaps so that you could figure it out.

"Unfortunately, my son did not agree with my way of life and removed his family from my reach. Thus I was stuck with the conundrum of not having a successor in case something… untimely happened. Not to mention, Fugaku knew too much to not be caught up in our world. I had been effectively cut off from my talented grandchild, who I have been hoping to get into my organisation for quite sometime.

"Only a few years ago I expressed my interest in you again and he pushed you further away. Conveniently you had just told him about your boyfriend, Kisame, so he used that as an excuse to cut ties and get you out of the house quickly. This course of action would have worked rather more effectively if _I_ hadn't known Kisame already. You see, he used to work for me. As an assassin, of course, not many would appreciate his company, let alone pay for it.

"I knew where you were the whole time. All I had to do was remove your father from the picture and I would have access to you." Madara paused to stare at me for a moment, before continuing his monologue. "I recruited Pein, who could set up a suicide like no one else. But more problems had arisen. As sappy as it sounds, Kisame had actually fallen in love with you. I had been planning for financial ruin to fall into you lap for years so that you would be compelled to take a job here. But because of his feelings, I knew that Kisame would help you pay any debt you came into.

"In short, you were pushed away from me once again. And it was only luck that allowed me to find you again. I gave you that letter myself." My feelings of familiarity had finally been realised. I recognised Madara's voice.

"So, avoiding Kisame's help didn't do any good at all…" I muttered, about ready to kick myself. "But, why did you want me in particular?" I asked out of curiosity. Surely he could find attractive people willing to sell themselves elsewhere.

"As I mentioned before, I need a successor." He stated. "But my successor has to be strong and resilient, which is why I'm making you start from the bottom rung of the ladder. Anything else?"

"If you're my father's father, how can you be so young?"

"The second stage of the mangekyou sharingan." Noticing my blank face, Madara continued, "Fugaku didn't even tell you about the sharingan? Then allow me…"

Sometime later, Madara's explanation had given me the impression that the sharingan was an evolutionary advantage that had developed in my family and was passed from generation to generation genetically. He told me that I and even my brother would have the potential to awaken the first type of sharingan.

"…So you see, after killing my best friend and taking my brother's eyes, I became as near to immortal as humans can. Alas, I am forever middle aged, but undoubtedly our average life spans could be more than one hundred years in just a couple of generations, no? Unfortunately I may not live that long to find out." He finished, searching my face for a reaction to his story.

"So, the 'reward' you spoke of was knowledge?" I asked, wondering if anything more sinister was yet to come.

"They say knowledge is power… Maybe you'll be interested in this as well?" He added, returning to a normal sitting position and handing me a folded piece of newspaper. The clipping was only a small one. My brother's and Kisame's names jumped out at me. It explained that a collusion of the Uchiha and Hoshigaki companies had been allowed. This meant that Madara had predicted correctly. Kisame had discovered the true extent of our debt and was taking it on for me. Essentially, I had come here for no reason whatsoever.

"What of Kisame and Sasuke? They are… safe, aren't they?" I asked, wondering if it was wise to bring them up like this in conversation. Maybe I was just giving him ideas…

"Oh yes, you're already tied to me by law. But you really shouldn't have them worry so much… Perhaps I should invite them to come and see you?" He watched me carefully, as though trying to gauge my reaction exactly.

"I would prefer they didn't see me here… I suppose there's no chance of voiding my contract?" I asked quietly, fisting the small shred of newspaper.

"Oh, I'm not quite ready to let you go yet. But, perhaps if you keep up the good work we can think about letting you go after only six months. Don't think of it as an easy way out." He looked up at the clock on the wall briefly, before returning his attention to me. "That's all we have time for today, Itachi. We'll have another one of these meetings sometime. Maybe I'll tell you about the people Kisame killed then." He said in a strangely pleasant tone as Pein reentered the room.

I followed him back to my quarters, reflecting that I wasn't the only one who had been concealing things. But perhaps this meant that Kisame would forgive my stupid decisions more easily…

**I'm afraid that's about it until early April, probably later. Alas, I must return to my schooling so soon... ****:( Please tell me what you thought of this chapter. **


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